Today’s Devotional Written By An Inspired and Inspirational Young Woman: Tracy Koweh (soon To be Dixon)
Who’s to Blame
1 Samuel 15:22 (New Living Translation)
22 But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
Today's message in the music comes from the title of Jadakiss's song "Why". The song is basically made up of a bunch of questions that he is asking about the world as we know it today? He is confused about the state the world has come to and is questioning God's timing, our morals, our rules as a society and basic wrongs in our governmental systems. After going through my own "why" season with God these past few weeks, I've realized maybe we are the answer to that simple yet complex question.
I remember an instance awhile back when Jai got a minor burn at a restuarant. I repeatedly told her NOT to touch the edge of the cooking station. I remember my many warnings and a few pops on the hand. Well, when the "in a blink of the eye" opportunity arose, she took it. Fortunately, she only lightly touched the surface but it was enough to let her feel the heat. So whose fault was it she got burned?
As I recall some of the craziest stories in the Bible, I can see how detailed instructions are from God. When God commanded Noah to build the ark in the middle of a drought, He gave him instructions right down to the measurements of the boards. When He gave instructions on building the tabernacle, He gave specific metals and furniture pieces to be used. When God gave orders in wartime, He gave individuals very unique and precise orders to carry out. Whether it was the time of day to attack, positioning of leadership, or when to take or not take goods from a defeated a foe.
So what if Noah built an ark but didn't use the dimensions God instructed him to. Would it be God's fault when Noah and his family flooded? Would it have been God's fault if Noah and his family were safe but all the animals were wiped out of existence forever? Was it God's fault when Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt, or was it her fault for being disobedient? God has given us all detailed instructions and warnings in His word, He has forgiven time after time, and sometimes we have been grateful of His mercy, but others we have underestimated and misunderstood it.
As we begin the start of another week, let us begin to take responsiblity for the consequences of the decisions we have made. Let us take a real hard and honest look in the mirror and see OUR shortcomings, OUR disobedience, OUR choices and begin to let God fix us up. Everything wrong or out of order in our lives is not the devil, not our childhood, not our parents, not our boss, not God, but sometimes its just a direct reaction to our "out of God's will" actions. Let us begin to truly live out the scripture that obedience is better than sacrifice. We don't always agree with God's plan or the way He chooses to play it out, but I am a living witness that if we do what He says, when He says it and how He says it, we will come out better, stronger and greater than anything we can imagine we can or ever will be.
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